Enhanced scientific and technical expertise

The role of the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) is to develop knowledge and scientific expertise about species, habitats, the services provided by biodiversity and the threats it faces. It coordinates national information systems on biodiversity, water and both aquatic and marine habitats. It collects structures and disseminates information gathered by numerous public and non- governmental partners.

Crédit photo : Philippe Massit / OFB

The OFB supports or runs many applied research projects, contributing thus to the development of knowledge by conducting or supporting scientific and technical work in partnership with research organisations. In this way, the OFB produces expertise based on the latest scientific findings and the knowledge of its in-the-field teams and partners. Based on these studies and experiments, it produces compendia of knowledge and methodological guides of great value to the managers of natural areas, local authorities, businesses and urban developers.

Thanks to its expertise, the Agency contributes to developing and implementing European directives, action plans and management strategies on national issues, such as:

monitoring and managing protected species;
supervising and assessing the status of natural habitats;
creating and managing protected areas;
developing habitat restoration, ecological engineering solutions;
preventing, monitoring and managing invasive alien species;
wildlife health monitoring; reducing various types of pollution;
ecological continuities.

Observing and censusing biodiversity

The OFB manages the French National Biodiversity Observatory (ONB) which designs and shares indicators on major issues relating to biodiversity (conservation status, pressures, etc.).

Via the “Patrinat” Joint Research Unit (UMS) steered by the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the OFB publishes the Inventory National Natural Heritage, a national portal providing data on species and habitats (inpn.fr).

Thanks to its in-the-field services, the OFB collects data throughout the entire French territory, on land and at sea, relative to a broad range of topics: freshwater fishes, marine birds and mammals, reduction in river flows, etc.